Mattress clamping device



E. I. HITCHCOCK 2,257,554 MATTRESS CLAMPING DEVICE Sept. 30, 1941.

Filed May 25, 1940 Patented Sept. 30, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MATTRESS CLAMPING DEVICE Ethel I. Hitchcock, West Boylston, Mass.

Application May 25, 1940, Serial N 0. 337,224

1 Claim.

This invention relates to means for preventing a mattress from slipping lengthwise of a bed, particularly when a portion of the bed and mattress is raised to an inclined position, as is common in hospital practice.

It is the general object of my invention to provide improved clamping devices for such purposes, which are of simple and economical construction and which may be easily attached to a bed and mattress or easily removed therefrom.

A further object is to provide clamping devices which will firmly grip and hold a mattress to which they are applied but without injury to the fabric thereof.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a partial side elevation of a bed and mattress having my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my improved clamping device;

Fig. 3 is a partial end elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the gripping member engaged with the bead of a mattress.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown portions of a bed B having a mattress-supporting frame It: and a frame member ll adapted to be raised to an inclined position and held by braces [2.

The frame and frame member H are commonly made of angle-iron, as indicated in section in Fig. l, and are supplied with the usual spring structure M to support a mattress M, which has the regular bindings or beads l5 around its top and bottom edges.

My improved clamping device comprises a bracket 20 (Fig. 2) having an attaching portion 2| adapted to be clamped against the end of the angle iron frame II by a hook bolt 22 and nut 23. Two or more holes 24 in the attaching portion 2! adapt the device for use on angle irons of different sizes.

The bracket 20 also has an angularly disposed portion 30 which projects upward and also rearward or away from the mattress M when in position for use, as shown in Fig. 1. The extreme outer end 32 of the inclined portion 30 is bent over to provide a bearing for one side of a rectangular link 33. The other side of the link extends through a U-shaped resilient gripping member 40 having slightly depressed portions 4| in each side thereof and having its ends bent outward as indicated at 42 and then abruptly bent inward as shown at 44 to form mattressengaging jaws.

A washer 45 having a rectangular opening 46 is mounted on each U-shaped gripping member 40 and is slidable along said gripping member to force the jaws 44 toward each other and about the upper bead l5 of the mattress M.

The manner of applying and using my improved clamping devices will be readily apparent. Two devices are commonly used for each mattress, and each device is first clamped to the frame member H by its bolt 22, as shown in Fig. 1. The Washer 45 is then moved to the nonclamping position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 and the jaws 44 are slipped over the upper bead !5 of the mattress. The washer i5 is then pushed forward into the slight depressions 4|, thus forcing the jaws 44 about and into the bead l5, which is thereby firmly gripped. The mattress is thus prevented from moving endwise or sliding down along the inclined frame member I I, and the comfort of the patient or occupant is correspondingly increased.

Commonly the bed sheet will be tucked around the clamping devices and under the mattress but, if desired, the sheet may be tucked in before the clamping devices are attached, so that the sheet also will be gripped by the jaws 44.

The provision of the links 33 makes the devices more flexible, and facilitates attachment and removal of the gripping jaws.

Although I have described my invention as applied to a bed and mattress, my invention may also be applied to other items of furniture such as cribs, couches and hammocks, where slipping of a mattress, cushion or similar article is to be prevented.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what I claim is:

In a device for holding a mattress in place on a hospital bed spring having a tiltable frame portion, a bracket having means at its lower end for securing it to the end bar of the spring frame, said bracket having a body portion adapted to extend approximately to the top of a mattress on said spring, the upper part of said body portion being inclined away from the mattress, and clamping means pivoted to the upper end of the bracket, said clamping means including ijaws for gripping the upper head of the matress.

ETHEL I. HITCHCOCK. 

